“Yes, you can.”
“And our marriage will begin right now,” he pressed.
“Unless you’re too tired.” She raised an eyebrow in question.
His previous exhaustion vanished and he was positively certain he wore a goofy grin on his face. “I’m not too tired.”
A tiny wrinkle marred her brow. “I’ll bet you haven’t eaten all day. Maybe we should—”
“The only thing I’m hungry for is you,” he said.
With Gabe having earned her cooperation, he seemed as if he couldn’t walk to their room fast enough. He grabbed her hand in an unbreakable grip and pulled her into the orphanage, through the common rooms and to the staff quarters without breaking his stride.
“Gabe,” she warned with a smile, “if anyone sees us, they’ll wonder if there’s a fire.”
“They’d be right,” he answered with a wink and a smile.
Fortunately they didn’t meet a single soul, although there had been two close calls. As soon as they shut the bedroom door, Gabe slid the deadbolt home.
“So we don’t have three little interruptions,” he said.
In the blink of an eye, buttons were undone, zippers unzipped, and Gabe was following her onto the hastily turned-down bed. Impatient for him, she wriggled underneath his lanky frame.
“We have to slow down.” His voice was pained.
She froze. “I’m hurting you. Is it your ribs?”
As she made a move to roll out from under him, he held her firmly in place. “You’re not hurting me. I just don’t want this to be over too soon,” he finished hoarsely.
She studied his lean face, noticing how time had added a few wrinkles around his eyes and a few strands of silver near his temples. In spite of those small changes, he was still the guy who made every other man pale in comparison.
“If it is, then we can look forward to next time.”
“I want this to be good for you…” he mumbled in her hair.
“It will be.”
As she trailed her hands along his body, the evidence of his previous ordeal seemed to be fading. The ridges, hollows and bumps she’d seen in the hospital weren’t as pronounced, but none of that seemed important. Loving her husband was the only thing on her mind.
With the speed of a starving man eating his first meal, he drove her to the brink until she soared over the edge and took him with her.
Too spent to move, she was only vaguely conscious of Gabe drawing the sheet over them before he tucked her under his arm.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. You?”
“Never better.”
“Your ribs? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“You didn’t and even if you had, the pain would have been worth it. Now, stop worrying about my aches. You’re ruining the mood,” he teased.
“Can’t have that,” she answered with a satisfied chuckle. As she rested against him, she saw the sun still shining through white cotton curtains covering the western window. It was far too early to turn in for the night, but she was content to lie in this very spot until morning and savor his touch during every moment. “I can’t move,” she said, certain he’d turned her into a boneless jellyfish.
“Good, because you’re where I want you,” he murmured as he nuzzled her temple. “That was…fantastic.”
“It was pretty amazing,” she agreed.
“What’s really amazing is how badly I want you again.”
She met his obsidian-eyed gaze. “Really?”
“Oh, really,” he said firmly as he rolled slightly toward her so she could discover the truth for herself.
“Mmm,” she said, pleased by his response. “Maybe we should pace ourselves.”
“Pace ourselves? I don’t think I can.”
“Try,” she ordered, pleased because she was responsible for his lack-of-control issues. What woman wouldn’t be thrilled to know she could drive her man wild?
“What if I don’t want to?”
That was better yet. “We have all night,” she reminded him.
“True.” He kissed her collarbone before nibbling his way south. “But humor me. I’m making up for lost time.”
The next morning Leah was certain everyone was wondering where she and Gabe had disappeared to the previous evening. They’d missed dinner and although Gabe had slipped out around nine to check on a patient, he’d returned shortly after and they’d spent the rest of the night enjoying each other, uninterrupted.
Although they hadn’t slept very much, Leah felt energized and was pleased to see the spring in Gabe’s step as they ambled to the dining hall for breakfast.
The Salazar children immediately descended on them and halfway through their meal, Gabe suddenly announced, “I forgot. David wants to talk to us.”
“Oh, Gabe. You don’t suppose someone heard us raiding the kitchen before midnight, do you?”
He grinned. “I doubt if he’s calling us on the carpet for something so minor. He knows doctors don’t always eat on schedule.”
“Then I wonder what’s on his mind?”
“I don’t know, but he’d asked for us to meet him yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
“I got the message right before Regina’s husband came barreling into the clinic, yelling for me. After that, for some strange, inexplicable reason…” he grinned “…David’s request slipped my mind.”
“Ah, so if he’s unhappy with us, you’ll say it was my fault?” she teased.
“Would you rather I said I was with a patient? For shame,” he tutted melodramatically. “I can’t believe you’d ask me to lie to a priest.”
She leaned closer and kissed him, uncaring that Rosa, José and Anna were watching them with unabashed interest. “Whatever. But why do I feel as if we’re being summoned to the principal’s office?” she joked.
“I don’t know. Have you done something wrong?” he returned in the same vein.
“Not that I know of.”
Her feeling rose to full strength as David welcomed them into his private office thirty minutes later. He motioned them to take a seat before he perched on the edge of his battered desk.
“You two look chipper this morning,” the priest said with a knowing gleam in his eyes.
“We finally got a good night’s rest,” Gabe answered, squeezing Leah’s hand.
“I’m glad to hear it.” His expression became serious. “Now, more than ever, you need to take care of yourselves.”
David’s tone raised Leah’s suspicions. He’d called them in for a reason. A very important reason.
Gabe must have sensed the same thing because his smile died. “Why now, more than ever?”
“Because I visited with Carlotta yesterday afternoon,” David said simply. “She wants to pass guardianship of her grandchildren to you.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
GABE didn’t have to see the surprise on Leah’s face. From her sharp gasp he knew it was there. The problem was, he didn’t know how Leah would respond to such a request and he wished he’d cornered David before this meeting. As much as he would be willing to say yes, he didn’t want to pressure Leah one way or the other.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“Carlotta would like you two to be her grandchildren’s guardians. Adoptive parents, if you will.”
“Oh, my,” she breathed. “How? Why?”
“As Gabe knows, Carlotta and I have talked about her grandchildren’s future from the time she first became ill,” David went on. “While growing up in the orphanage is okay because she knows all of the staff, she wants her grandchildren to be placed with a family. However, she doesn’t want them split up, which poses somewhat of a problem. Not many people are willing to take on three youngsters under the age of five at once.”
“Of course,” Leah murmured.
“In any case,” he continued, “after meeting you, Leah, and watching the way you interacted with them, she thought you and Gabe were the couple she�
��d been praying for.”
Once again, Gabe exchanged a glance with Leah. “We’re honored, but—”
“But is she sure about this?” Leah interrupted, looking as if she wasn’t willing to let herself believe her good fortune. “I mean, she hardly knows us. Or me anyway.”
“She apparently saw enough to be satisfied,” David replied. “When she asked my opinion, I agreed with her.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Gabe said.
“Anyone who is willing to put the needs of so many ahead of his own is a special individual,” he said, “whether they’re my friend or not. In any case, on the advice of the lawyer who handles orphanage business, Carlotta has signed a document indicating her wishes. She’ll transfer guardianship of Rosa, Anna and José to you to become effective on her death, providing you agree to take all three.”
Leah gasped then faced Gabe with something akin to fear in her eyes. “Gabe?” she asked tremulously. “As much as I’d like to say yes, I’m not sure.”
He reached out and took her hand. “Like I told you before, the decision is yours.”
She met his gaze, as if trying to read his thoughts, before her expression turned speculative. “David,” she said quietly, “would you mind giving Gabe and me a few minutes of privacy?”
“Sure. I’ll be outside when you’re finished.”
From Leah’s expression, Gabe knew he was in for a rough ride. It began as soon as David closed the door behind him and she jumped up to pace.
For a few seconds Leah couldn’t find the words to voice her displeasure, but when she did, she delivered them fiercely. “You don’t seem very surprised by David’s announcement,” she accused.
“I am, and yet I’m not. I wondered if this might be coming.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You did? How?”
“Remember the day you held Rosa and the other two showed off their toys? Carlotta and I watched you. In her next breath, Carlotta started talking, hinting actually, about how she wanted a couple like us to take her grandchildren.”
“And you didn’t say anything? Didn’t you think this was something I’d be interested in knowing?”
“What could I tell you? Carlotta said she wanted a couple like us, she didn’t say she wanted us, specifically,” he defended.
“You’re splitting hairs, Gabe. Admit it. You suspected this was coming.” An unpleasant idea occurred to her. “Was this why you wanted me to come to Ciuflores with you? To manipulate me—?”
“There you go again, giving me motives I don’t have and never did,” he ground out. “Like I said before, the choice to adopt is yours. All you have to do is say no, and the discussion ends here. David will understand.”
She wanted to run away and avoid facing the issue, but the picture of Carlotta as she’d reminisced about her children, then her grandchildren, stopped her. David might understand, but will Carlotta? she wondered.
Leah didn’t realize she’d spoken her thoughts until Gabe answered. “She’s bound to be disappointed. It isn’t like she has plenty of time to put her affairs in order.”
No, she didn’t. When Leah had seen the woman yesterday, she’d been much weaker than the day before.
“I only know one thing,” he continued. “As much as I’d love to accept those three, I won’t do it at the expense of our marriage. It took us too long to get where we are today.”
Immediately, she regretted her accusations. “I’m sorry for being so sensitive and jumping to the wrong conclusions,” she said in a small voice. “I know you better than that. Will you forgive me?”
“You’re my wife,” he said simply. “We’re going to make a mistake here and there.” He paused. “Shall we call David back in?”
Don’t let fear influence your decision.
“Please do.”
Although Gabe seemed curious about her answer, he didn’t press her. Instead, he simply squared his shoulders as if bracing himself for bad news.
As soon as David returned, Leah didn’t delay in putting both men out of their proverbial misery. She met Gabe’s gaze as she announced, “We accept Carlotta’s offer.”
“Don’t do this for me, Leah,” Gabe warned.
“I’m not. I’m doing it for me, and for us.”
His smile immediately grew from ear to ear and the tension in his shoulders eased visibly.
“Taking on three is a big responsibility, even without the culture and language issues,” David warned. “This will be a major adjustment for all of you.”
“We’ll handle it,” Gabe assured him.
“Definitely,” Leah added.
David rose. “I know you will,” he said kindly, “but I had to ask. I’m happy for you both and I’m happy for the peace of mind you’re giving Carlotta.”
“I do have one question, though,” Leah said. “What about Carlotta’s son—the children’s uncle?”
“No one has seen or heard from him in five years. Even if we found him, a judge should honor Carlotta’s wishes. I’m not expecting any problems.”
Relieved to hear that, she and Gabe headed for the door. “We’d like to thank her for her gift. No, three gifts.”
David showed them to the door. “She’d like that. Even though I’ve assured her you’ll accept, hearing it for herself will ease her worries. This situation, as sad as it is for her, is also a blessing in disguise for you. So, congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Gabe shook his hand. “Whatever you need, just say the word and it’ll be yours.”
David chuckled. “I’ll keep your promise in mind. Run along, now, so I can take care of the paperwork to satisfy the legal eagles.”
In the hallway, Leah suddenly stopped short. “Oh, Gabe,” she wailed as she truly realized what they’d done. “Have we done the right thing? One child is a challenge and two is even more so. But three?”
“And here we thought we’d go home to a quiet existence,” he joked. “Those days are definitely over.”
Leah grinned, already picturing noisy days ahead. “Oh, but just think. Rosa, Anna and José will be ours.” Her smile dimmed. “I only wish they wouldn’t have to lose their grandmother for it to happen, though. I want to celebrate, but a celebration doesn’t quite seem appropriate.”
“I know, honey.” He drew her close. “I think she’d like us to be happy about her decision, especially because her outcome will be the same whether we agree to her offer or not. At least this way she has peace about the future of her grandchildren and we’re blessed with the family we’ve always wanted.”
As Leah rested her head on his shoulder, one word reverberated through her mind. Family. She and Gabe would be more than a couple, they would be a family. They’d experience all the joys and trials that came with that. She only hoped she’d be worthy of the task.
Suddenly she pulled away. “Oh, my gosh. We have so much to do to get ready for them. Our house will be stuffed to the rafters.”
“You always said the place was too big,” he teased. “Now you’re saying it’s too small?”
Love shone out of her eyes. “No, our home is going to be just right.”
“How is she?” Leah asked Gabe as he came out of Carlotta’s room later that evening.
Gabe tugged her out of the children’s earshot. “She’s slipped into a coma.”
She hated to hear that. She still had so many questions and knew the woman hadn’t finished telling her stories. Leah hoped Carlotta had shared her most treasured memories and she took comfort in the notes she’d recorded. Those were definitely precious pages.
“How long?”
“It’s hard to say. Could be hours, or days. Not more than that, I would think.”
“I’m glad we were able to talk to her for a few minutes this afternoon.” A lump formed in Leah’s throat as she thought about the emotional scene when she and Gabe had whispered their thanks to the dying woman. Carlotta hadn’t answered; she’d simply smiled and wiggled her fingers in their hands.
“I am,
too.”
“I don’t want her to die, but I know she’s suffering,” Leah admitted. “And I feel selfish for wanting to take the children with us when we leave in a few days. I’d like to stay, and yet I know we can’t.”
“I wish we could,” he said, “but we’ll have to leave as soon as they unload the plane.”
She didn’t like the idea very much and told him so.
“Our mission goes on, Leah,” he reminded her. “A long goodbye won’t be possible.”
“But—” She thought of disappearing from the children’s lives without warning or explanation, but Anna was the only one old enough to understand, and even then, she wouldn’t. As much as she hated what her attitude said about her, she hoped she could take the children when she left.
“What if Miguel isn’t back?” she asked.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” His grim tone suggested he’d already considered the possibility and wasn’t looking forward to making the decision.
“On the bright side, the number of new cases seems to be dropping,” she offered.
“Let’s hope it stays on the downhill slope.”
Leah agreed. While over half of the children in the orphanage had exhibited symptoms in the last two days, none of the cases were severe enough to require hospitalization. She and the staff had been able to push enough oral fluids to keep them from becoming dehydrated and with antibiotics readily available for those who’d developed bacterial complications, a lot of problems had been nipped in the bud. So far, Rosa, Anna and José—her three children, as she now thought of them—only had a minor case of sniffles.
He flexed his shoulders then threaded his arm around her waist.
“It’s getting late, Mrs. Montgomery,” he said with the heated look in his eyes she recognized. “Shall we put our hooligans to bed?”
“Yeah, but after that, what will we do for the rest of the evening?” she asked innocently.
“Don’t worry,” he answered with a boyish charm. “I’ll think of something.”
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